PTSD

ILIGAN City ― “PBBM, RRD, GMA…vengeance is mine.” This was a post on FB and we could see that the “poster” has “intense” emotions for those 3.

Now we know what these 3 initials stand for. The “Facebooker” had considered these 3 names as “enemies.” But what about that person who posted it? I stand corrected. We don’t say “facebooker” but we say “FB user.” And my nerdy friend Michael says there’s one person too we refer to as “user” — the drug ”user.”

And I remember that quote about “the enemy” which says” I have known the enemy and the enemy is myself!”

Now, lately, an initial too had aroused our consciousness — that of PTSD. What is this? Is this something that can be eaten?

No, but it eats you and others too in extreme cases. This stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It could lead to such terms as “amok,” “gone berserk” or “naghuramentado” in the Bisaya language. Studies say that it is an “anxiety disorder caused by very stressful and frightening or distressing events.” With that, everything is never the same again for that person. And maybe, for others affected by the “amoker!”

That’s what happened recently to a soldier at Camp Evangelista in Patag, Cagayan de Oro, Private Johmar Villabito. Four of his colleagues were shot dead. With two other soldiers were wounded in the process in defense of their dear lives too as they were awakened by the gunshots for they were sleeping then.

This matter was also talked about in this city as one of the victims comes from this city. It was reported too that he had used an M16 weapon issued by the government. So, government, this is a wake-up call!

I heard talks coming from an organization here, saying that this soldier who shot dead his fellow soldiers was stressed about “money.”

He lost the money that was the proceeds of a sale of a motorcycle vehicle. So, that fateful night, something dreadful happened to four soldiers plus the one that had gone berserk. And the wounded ones too. And the other soldiers and individuals nearby.

PTSD is also the story behind some interesting films starring Sylvester Stallone, playing John Rambo. In “First Blood” he was a distressed soldier surviving the Vietnam War. He was very good at it, thoroughly trained for that, and even received a medal of valor.

But after that war, he found himself very distressed. He couldn’t hold a job. Most of his friends were dead. And in the middle of somewhere, he was tagged as a common criminal. It was a Washington town under a sheriff, Will Teasle where he was met with intolerance and brutality.

Rambo then, with all the skills he learned in the war there fought the sheriff and his men. Rambo then went to the mountains, killing one of the sheriff’s men in the process. Teasle, the sheriff then was very angry. And in one scene, Rambo’s trainer came over and advised the sheriff and his men to abandon what they were doing. But Teasle said something like “do you want to save him from us?”

The trainer said the opposite something like he wanted “to save them from Rambo.” Well, we knew what happened. A highly trained warrior against a sheriff who was consumed with pride.

But this Rambo matter is just a movie. With some theme of a very real PTSD consuming the protagonist.

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner and several others, in defense of what happened more than a week ago, claimed the incident as an “isolated” one. Although, Brawner said that a psychological Unit there at said camp and maybe in other strategic places too in the army will be set up to deal with such things as PTSD. And maybe some other mental concerns in the army? Yet, some people say too that in the recruitment process of these uniformed men, tests should be given to assess their mental health or disposition, or fitness. In addition of course, to the physical.

But excuse me. For I’ve heard too that something is the matter with the actor Bruce Willis. I’ll see what is the matter with him…

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